Just So Stories

WestWords

October 2026

ISBN 9781923044708

RRP: $28.95

There is always something so warming about a feel-good community story and this one from WestWords is a fine example of this with something that is becoming more and more of a staple around the country – a community neighbourhood collective garden.

Just as a plant starts from one small seed so too can acts of kindness grow from one small example of caring.

Gita and Lia don’t know anyone in their new neighbourhood and they don’t even see anyone with whom to make friends. Then Lia spots a tiny seedling peeping out under someone’s hedge. She knows a tomato plant when she sees one and props the poor little wilting thing up. She knows there’s a boy inside the house but he doesn’t take any notice. Soon Lia is watering the little tomato as she walks past and she keeps waving to the boy in the house.

Then one morning, the tomato plant has a stake to help it stand. Then someone has pulled away the weeds threatening to choke it. And after that, someone has put some mulch around it. They still see nobody except the boy who never waves back.

Until one day he’s right there, but still shy. He explains that he asked his dad not to pull out the tomato but that everyone in the street has been helping it. And as it grows so does the whole street’s attention, watching and waiting. Harvest time comes and there are plenty of tomatoes for everyone and next thing – there’s a whole community garden happening. In fact, there are several!

What a glorious way to bring together so many different people. No matter what origin, what nationality, what colour or creed – this is a story that works exactly the way we want it to be for our kiddos. That everyone is part of a community, belonging, working together and sharing doesn’t get much better than in a garden, where all things – plants and people – can flourish. Just lovely!

Author Saurav Kiran Shrestha has written many children’s books in his own Nepali language and now has broadened that focus, continuing to share stories of people, cultures and belonging. Estee Sarsfield lives in the Blue Mountains [hence sharing the photo of one of our favourite bookshops, Gleebooks Blackheath] and her vibrant lush illustrations make this story come alive.

I love it and I love the theme of it. It’s a lush fruitful 5 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅for readers from Prep upwards.